


What Happens to a Dream Deferred?

by only_more_love



Series: Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bittersweet, Don’t copy to another site, M/M, POV Steve Rogers, Pining, Steve Rogers Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 05:45:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19078699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/only_more_love/pseuds/only_more_love
Summary: Steve's human; he has dreams, same as any other person.





	What Happens to a Dream Deferred?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fluffypanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/gifts).



> The title comes from [Harlem](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46548/harlem), a poem by Langston Hughes. 
> 
> This was written in response to [this three-sentence fic meme](https://onlymorelove.tumblr.com/post/185278138668/meme-three-sentence-fic-meme) and an ask from Fluffypanda, who requested Stony. I went over three sentences. Oops. If you'd like to send me a prompt, you can send me an ask at [Tumblr](https://onlymorelove.tumblr.com).

In the dream, brown curls fall into her smiling face as she smacks her small palms against the high chair tray and chants, “Da, da, da, da.”

Grinning back at her, Steve leans forward and slips the spoon of mashed sweet potatoes and oatmeal into her toothless mouth with one hand and taps the tray with the other, parroting his daughter’s words with equal enthusiasm: “Da, da, da, da.”

Delighted laughter burbles from her, and unfortunately, so does sweet potato, which ends up mostly on Steve’s clean, button-down shirt; he doesn’t mind, especially when he catches sight of a bed-headed Tony leaning against the kitchen counter, holding a mug that doesn’t cover his warm smile.  
  
  
+

  
The text comes at 3:42 in the morning, and Steve sees it when he gets up to use the bathroom; there’s a picture of a baby with tight-shut eyes and tiny, fisted hands near its face, wearing a pink and blue striped hat. A hand Steve would recognize anywhere rests above the baby’s head—Tony’s. The caption reads, simply: “Say hi to Morgan.”

Steve’s thumbs hover over his phone for long moments as he tries to shake off the soft remnants of his dream that still cling to him. Eventually, his trembling mouth firms, and the dream, the dream he tucks away with all the others he’s learned to let go of over the years. “Congratulations, Tony,” he finally types in response, “you and Pepper will be great parents.”   

He doesn’t wait for a reply—just climbs back into a bed that feels too big; too cold; too empty—and watches shadows shift over his bedroom walls until it’s time to get up for his morning run.

He doesn’t think of a little girl with blue eyes and brown curls and the sweetest voice he’s never heard. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to reblog this on Tumblr, here's [the original post](https://onlymorelove.tumblr.com/post/185325376288/stony-of-course-for-the-three-sentence-fic-meme). 
> 
> Thanks for reading. I can't tell you how much comments and kudos are appreciated. I respond to all comments, though sometimes it takes me a while.
> 
> Other places you can find me: [Tumblr](https://onlymorelove.tumblr.com) and Discord. I'm onlymorelove#8488; you can often find me posting garbage on various Marvel Discord servers.


End file.
